Self-reported postpartum morbidity among women in aligarh

Introduction: Maternal death is a big health problem, especially in developing countries. The leading cause of maternal mortality is postpartum hemorrhage. The common risk factors for maternal morbidity are age, obstetric history, multiparity, anaemia etc. There are incidences of postpartum psychosis in many females which include postpartum blues, postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis. In India, the birth of a girl could be major depressive factor to mother. Developing countries accounts 99% of all these maternal deaths which is higher in women living in rural areas and poor communities country. Postpartum maternal morbidity is defined by WHO as morbidity that occurs in the first 6 weeks after delivery. The aim of this study was to find out self-reported postpartum morbidity in women in rural areas of Aligarh. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during Oct-Nov in 2014, in the rural areas of Jawan,Aligarh.The study subjects were married women aged between 15 to 45 years, who were present in the postpartum period, those who refused to provide consent, were excluded. The total number of study subjects were 50. Questionnaires were prepared for the study. Data was collected and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: More than half of females under study had problem of backache or some breast problem.Nearly half of them gave complaint of either pain in lower abdomen or white discharge per vaginum.36% of females under study gave complaint of itching or irritation or ulcer or wart in the genitalia.30% had some urinary problem.20% had complaint of perineal pain and pain during intercourse.Excessive bleeding was complained by only 10% of them. Anal problem and fever were complained by 10% and 6% respectively.There were psychological problems also present in the females under study like loss of sleep,lack of concenteration, irritability, anxiousness, feeling of worthlessness, loss of appetite or felt like crying easily.Conclusion:Postpartum is often a neglected part of maternal health.So it needs more attention .The factors responsible for postpartum morbidity should be detected.Antenatal education programme needs to be implemented on a large scale.Postnatal care should be given to the mothers. The health professionals should be trained to pay more attention to women’s complaints (mental distress in particular).